The tent's pronunciation of this sound is a covering made of fabric or other material that covers the pole frame or attaches to the support rope. Smaller tents may be freestanding or attached to the ground, while larger ones are usually secured by cables tied to stakes or tent pegs. Tents, originally used as mobile houses by nomads, are now more often used for recreational camping and temporary shelters.

Tents vary in size, from "camping" structures to large tents that can hold one person to sleep, to giant circus tents that can hold thousands of people. Most of the content of this article is related to the tent used for leisure camping. The sleeping space of the tent can accommodate one to ten people. Larger tents will be discussed in a separate section below.

There are two types of leisure camping tents. Tents intended to be carried by backpackers are the smallest and lightest type. A small tent may be light enough to carry a long distance on a traveling bike, boat, or backpack.

The second category is larger and heavier tents, usually carried by cars or other vehicles. Depending on the size of the tent and the experience of the people involved, it is usually possible to assemble (LAP) the tent in 5 to 25 minutes; it takes about the same amount of time to dismantle (strike). Some very professional tents have spring poles that can "pitch" in seconds, but take longer to "knock" (remove and pack).